Image display using a computer system, including, but not limited to, display of a reference image for comparison with a current image in image editing

Abstract

When editing an image ( 160.2 ) with a computer system, a command may be issued to display a reference image ( 160.0 or 160.1 ) to allow a human user to visually compare the current image ( 160.2 ) with the reference image. In response, some embodiments display the entire reference image in the position of the current image. In some embodiments, if the current image was rotated, trimmed, or otherwise modified in respect to its geometry, the reference image is also rotated, trimmed, and/or otherwise modified in respect to its geometry when displayed for comparison. If another image (“third image”) ( 610 ) was incorporated into the current image during editing, then the reference image may or may not be combined with the third image when displayed for comparison with the current image. Some embodiments allow the user to specify whether or not the reference image should be combined with the third image.

1 . A computer-implemented method for image processing, the method comprising:
 (1) providing a first image to a computer display system;   (2) receiving a command to display a second image, wherein the first image was obtained by editing the second image and/or the first and second images were obtained by editing a common image; and   (3) in response to the command, processing the second image to obtain a processed image, and providing the processed image to the computer display system;   wherein:   (i) operation (3) comprises re-sizing the second image to obtain the processed image so that each element of the processed image which corresponds to an element of the first image is displayed with the same size as the element of the first image; and/or   (ii) the first and second images have different orientations, but the processed image has the same orientation as the first image; and/or   (iii) the second image is processed to trim away a portion which corresponds to a portion trimmed away from the first image; and/or   (iv) the second image is combined with a third image to obtain the processed image, wherein the third image is a component of the first image but not of the second image.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein (i) holds true. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein (ii) holds true. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein (iv) does not hold true as the second image is not combined with the third image which is a component of the first image. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  (iv) does not hold true as the first image does not have a component which is not a component of the second image. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the processed image is provided to the computer display system for display in the position of the first image. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the processed image is provided to the display system for display such that each element of the processed image which corresponds to an element of the first image is to be displayed over the element of the first image. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the processed image is provided to the computer display system for display such that at least one element of the processed image is to be displayed with a color different from a color of the corresponding element of the first image. 
   
   
       9 . A computer-implemented method for image processing, the method comprising:
 obtaining digital data representing a first image and one or more second images, each second image incorporating zero or more modifications of the first image, each modification being either a first-type modification or a second-type modification;   receiving a display command to display a reference image relative to a current image, wherein the reference image is one of the first and second images, and the current image is one of the one or more second images;   in response to the display command, processing the digital data to obtain a representation of a processed image incorporating the second-type modifications associated with the current image and either incorporating no first-type modifications or incorporating the first-type modifications associated with the reference image.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein each first-type modification comprises modifying a color without any one or more of (i) re-sizing, (ii) changing an orientation, and (iii) trimming, and each second-type modification comprises re-sizing, changing an orientation, and/or trimming. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein none of the second-type modifications comprises modifying a color. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein each first-type modification comprises modifying a color without any one or more of (i) re-sizing, (ii) changing an orientation, (iii) trimming, and (iv) combining with another image, and each second-type modification comprises re-sizing, changing an orientation, trimming, and/or combining with another image. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising, in response to the display command, displaying the processed image in a position defined by a position associated with the current image. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the processed image is displayed in the position of the current image, wherein each element of the processed image which corresponds to an element of the current image is superimposed over the element of the current image. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the processed image is displayed adjacent to the current image. 
   
   
       16 . A computer-implemented method for image processing, the method comprising:
 obtaining digital data representing a first image and one or more second images;   providing a display position of a current image to a display system, the current image being one of the one or more second images;   receiving a display command to display a reference image which is one of the first and second images and which is different from the current image;   using a position of the current image to determine a position in which the reference image is to be displayed; and   providing data to a display system for displaying the reference image such that each element of the reference image which corresponds to an element of the current image is displayed in the position of the element of the current image in accordance with the position determined for the reference image using the position of the current image.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the display command identifies the reference image. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein all of the second images were obtained from the first image via image editing. 
   
   
       19 . Circuitry adapted to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       20 . A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for causing a computer system to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       21 . A network transmission method comprising transmitting over a network a computer program for performing the method of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       22 . Circuitry adapted to perform the method of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       23 . A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for causing a computer system to perform the method of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       24 . A network transmission method comprising transmitting over a network a computer program for performing the method of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       25 . Circuitry adapted to perform the method of  claim 16 . 
   
   
       26 . A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for causing a computer system to perform the method of  claim 16 . 
   
   
       27 . A network transmission method comprising transmitting over a network a computer program for performing the method of  claim 16 .